501

It is stirred the same way as 500, then sprayed as a very fine mist over plants on a sunny morning. 501 is used when plants have excess water or fertility (e.g. due to heavy rains) – plants grow more upright, become crisper, have enhanced flavour, are sweeter, keep better and are more resistant to fungus and diseases.

501 is created from finely-ground clear quartz, which is made into a paste, put into cow horns and buried over summer.

Compost preps

The six preparations – 502 to 507 – are made from specially treated plant materials and are added to compost heaps. They help produce 100% colloidal humus compost – the perfect plant food.

The compost preps can also be added to 500 and stirred to produce ‘prepared 500’ – in this way the soil-building benefits of these preps can be applied over broad areas without having to resort to large-scale compost distribution.

Cultivation

It is important to use cultivation techniques that will not adversely affect the quality of the BD soil structure. BD growers are careful to select equipment that will conserve and further develop this soil structure.

Thin tynes are much better than broad blades. For example, gardeners use forks to dig with rather than spades, and farmers prefer chisel plows over discs.

Rotary hoes can cause cause serious damage to soil structure and growers are discouraged from using them.

Sowing charts

BD gardeners and farmers follow a sowing chart that is the result of many years of scientific research.

This research showed that seed is best sown when the moon is waxing (growing larger).

It was also found that plants can be influenced to grow more leaves, roots, flowers or fruit depending on the relative position of the moon, sun, stars and planets.

The chart also lists the best times for transplanting, pruning, grafting, cultivation, spraying preparations, cutting hay, etc – all supported by careful research.

Other techniques

BD growers use a variety of other ways to improve their soil and crops, including:

green manures

companion planting

rotational grazing

seed saving.

In bio-dynamics we are builders of health, not healers of sickness.– Alex Podolinsky

Location

Our farm is located at Mt Whitestone, about 100 km west of Brisbane.

We don’t sell directly to the public – our produce is distributed though wholesalers in Brisbane and Sydney, and through the Bio-Dynamic Marketing Company in Melbourne.